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Founder/Business Consultant at Catch 22 Solutions

Christopher Thompson is the Founder of Catch 22 Solutions, a sales performance consulting company. Catch 22 Solutions helps companies and sales professionals accelerate sales performance by enhancing and improving their current selling process.

Prior to founding Catch 22 Solutions, Christopher was a Director of Sales at PC Connection, Inc., a Fortune 1,000 company that sells technology products and services to consumers, businesses and government agencies. Christopher was responsible for the sales performance and professional development of corporate sales executives in their first twelve months with the company.

During his tenure as Director of Sales, Christopher played an important role in helping PC Connection increase profitability through the improved performance of newly hired sales executives. During this time, over 30% of PC Connection’s corporate sales force reported into his management team. The results of the new hire program Christopher led had positive impacts throughout the company.

Christopher studied business at Southern New Hampshire University and is a certified sales trainer through A.S.T.D., Achieve Global and several other sales training methods.

He is a contributor to the Union Leader NH Sunday News business section where his column titled “Closing the Deal” is published weekly and is the host of “The Business Advantage Show” on WKXL 1450AM, and WKXL1450.com.

For more information, visit - www.Catch22Solutions.com

Latest Activity

Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

An open-door policy is easier said than done

How many managers have you worked for or heard of who claimed to have the infamous "open-door policy"?They say and encourage their employees to come to them with any and all issues, and they will always be open to listening and accepting what is being said without judgment. It's often said, but how often does it really happen?I believe most managers have good intentions when it comes to creating an environment in which employees feel comfortable expressing concerns and discussing topics that…See More

Aug 17, 2010

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Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

Collections work best if separated from sales

Regardless of what you sell, who you sell to, or what you sell what to, there is always one aspect of business-to-business action that sales people would rather not worry about - collections, the gathering of the money owed to the company by customers.Generally speaking, it's simply not our area of expertise, and can jeopardize the relationship we have with our sales contacts.Often, the people we are selling to are not the same people who are cutting checks, balancing the books and handling the…See More

Jul 27, 2010

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Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

Extraordinary today; ordinary tomorrow

Throughout our careers, we have all run into people who impacted our performance in a positive way and passed along invaluable knowledge and experience in a manner that stands out. The mentors, managers and peers we have learned from leave impressions that we will never forget.For some reason, I always tend to remember not only the people and the lessons they have shared, but also the words they have used to make the impact they made.You'll probably remember me referencing some of these sayings…See More

Jun 6, 2010

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Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

Innovation is critical for business

Whenever you research how the most successful businesses continue to grow and win over the course of many years, there is always one word that is used to describe how they do it.Innovation.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English language offers what I consider to be the most clear and concise definition of innovation: "The act of introducing something new." Innovation is almost always associated with the big-name, most successful companies we know. Take Apple for example. If there is…See More

May 30, 2010

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Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

The sales process is a business process

Within every company there exist numerous processes that are in place that span across all departments.From finance to information technology to manufacturing and human resources, if something needs to get done, there is all most always a specific process in place to make it happen.As an example, when a company hires a new employee, there is a good chance the company has a specific list of things that need to get done before, during and after the person comes on board. They are likely…See More

May 10, 2010

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Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

Good first impression still counts

No matter what you sell or what company you sell for, if you are in sales, you interact with countless prospects and customers throughout the course of your tenure. During these interactions, you are engaged in different types of communication that leave those you interact with having some sort of perception and feeling about you. The impression you leave with prospects and customers is directly related to their willingness and likelihood to do business with you. Are you feeling the pressure…See More

May 3, 2010

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Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

Top teams need more than good people skills

Early in my sales career, the varying levels of performance within different sales teams intrigued me. I always found it interesting to try and figure out why certain teams consistently over-performed while others seemed to always struggle and miss their numbers. Was it the sales people themselves, or was there more to the story?As my career developed and I became more exposed to the inner workings of sales management, the reasons started to surface. I began to recognize common characteristics,…See More

Apr 12, 2010

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Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

Qualifying customers takes tact

The ability to quickly and effectively qualify prospects is a skill that is critical to the performance of every sales professional. When the term "qualified" is used in sales and business, it refers to a customer's likelihood, desire and financial ability to become a customer. Within every sales process, there comes a time when a prospect must be qualified by the sales person to determine the outcome of the relationship. The question is not so much if you need to qualify, but when you need to…See More

Apr 5, 2010

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Wayne Wilson commented on Christopher Thompson's blog post Results put extra hours in perspective

"Knowing the sales professionals involved, I can echo Chris' descriptions of their work styles and results. But there were some other factors involved as well. The 40-hours-per-week sales pro had a very clear idea of what he wanted to…"

Mar 27, 2010

Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

Results put extra hours in perspective

Putting in extra hours and going above and beyond to achieve your sales goals are topics I hear discussed within almost every sales organization.One group of people strongly believes that working as many hours as possible is a critical element of success in sales and business. The theory is if you want to achieve above-average results, you have to put in above-average time and effort.Whenever I discuss this topic, I often find myself using the example of two of the most successful sales…See More

Mar 27, 2010

1 Comment

Wayne Wilson commented on Christopher Thompson's blog post Sales pros, it's not just about you

""Givers gain," a nice turn of phrase, is really a variation on the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." One could also think of it as the human version of the first law of thermodynamics: energy can…"

Mar 20, 2010

Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

Sales pros, it's not just about you

When you choose selling as a profession, there are many challenges you must overcome in order to succeed long term in your role. One of those challenges happens to be the ongoing need to constantly focus your efforts on selling.This mindset is one in which you find yourself working hard, putting in a lot of hours and constantly crafting new approaches to get ahead. This becomes a problem when the act of selling consumes your life and you focus the majority of your time and energy on doing…See More

Mar 20, 2010

1 Comment

Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

No response is worse than rejection

In the world, the scene is all too common. You spend countless hours preparing for the big presentation in front of your top prospect. You go above and beyond and put everything you have into putting your best foot forward and “wowing” your potential customer. You spend countless sleepless nights reviewing your approach and considering all potential issues and challenges that may come up. Nothing else is on your mind.The day is finally here. You are eager, yet cautiously optimistic, as you know…See More

Mar 13, 2010

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Dan Veasey commented on Christopher Thompson's blog post Managers need to reach out

"Looks like a good book. I hope to read it sometime soon. This is good advice Christopher. I really like the coaching analogy. I've been thinking in very much the same terms lately too."

Mar 12, 2010

Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

Managers need to reach out

Among all companies there exist many different approaches and beliefs about how to most effectively manage and motivate a sales team. Some managers believe in managing by fear. Others prefer to lead by example and work side by side with their team to achieve the results expected.Anyone who has worked in a sales environment knows that a certain level of accountability is to be expected. After all, the sales team is responsible for diriving results and generating revenue the company needs to…See More

Mar 8, 2010

1 Comment

Christopher Thompson posted a blog post

Playing off the budget option

The end of one fiscal year and the beginning of the next brings the budget option into play in the sales process. For many companies, it means there are still budget dollars to be spent before the year ends and, for many sales professionals, it's one of the best calls to get: "I have to spend the rest of my budget or I will lose it next year."It's true. Many companies have a "use it or lose it" budget policy, forcing departments to spend their allocated dollars or risk their next year's budget…See More

Feb 27, 2010

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Christopher Thompson's Blog

An open-door policy is easier said than done

How many managers have you worked for or heard of who claimed to have the infamous "open-door policy"?

They say and encourage their employees to come to them with any and all issues, and they will always be open to listening and accepting what is being said without judgment. It's often said, but how often does it really happen?

I believe most managers have good… Continue

Posted on August 17, 2010 at 1:17pm

Collections work best if separated from sales

Regardless of what you sell, who you sell to, or what you sell what to, there is always one aspect of business-to-business action that sales people would rather not worry about - collections, the gathering of the money owed to the company by customers.

Generally speaking, it's simply not our area of expertise, and can jeopardize the relationship we have with our sales contacts.…

Continue

Posted on July 27, 2010 at 1:02pm